Terms

Terms and Conditions

Applicability

  1. These terms apply to purchases made through speedmooting.com (‘the website’)

Definitions

  1. ‘Customer’ refers to any individual making purchases through the website. ‘Customers’ may also be referred to as participants in the context of a competition or members in the context of the Advocacy Club.
  2. The order refers to a completed order made through the website.
  3. ‘Us’ or ‘we’ refers to JPD Group Limited (trading as the National Speed Mooting Competition).
  4. Our services will be referred to as competitions, the Advocacy Club or events.

The parties to the contract

  1. The parties to the contract are the customer and JPD Group Limited.

Competitions, Advocacy Club and Events

  1. The competitions, Advocacy Club and events that we offer are described on this website.
  2. The descriptions of the competitions, Advocacy Club and events are merely an invitation to treat.
  3. All competitions, the Advocacy Club and our events are subject to availability.

Privacy

  1. We will retain and use your personal information in line with our privacy policy.
  2. We may contact you on occasion via email, SMS, WhatsApp or telephone. You expressly consent to us contacting you.

The Sale

  1. The order process is set out on the website. A contract will be formed in relation to the competition, the Advocacy Club or the event that you have signed up to once we send you a confirmation email. We are not responsible for any inaccuracies in your order form. You expressly agree to us sending an email to you with the order confirmation. The order confirmation will be sent to you within a reasonable time.

Payments and Fees

  1. The costs of entry or membership for the competitions, Advocacy Club or our events are set out on the website. The cost will be that on the date that the order is placed.

14. Payments will be made through the website unless otherwise agreed between the JPD Group Ltd and the customer. Payment can be made via Paypal, debit card or credit card.

Cancellation and refunds

  1. The terms relating to cancellation and refunds are set out below under the specific terms for the competition, Advocacy Club or event that the customer has ordered.

16. This is a distance contract. Should the customer cancel within 14 days of entering the contact, the customer is entitled to a refund of any fees paid provided that the competition or event that they have signed up for has not taken place within that 14 day period.

Advocacy Club

General

  1. This section will apply for the Speed Mooting Advocacy Club (“Advocacy Club” or “the club”)
  2. Those joining the club will be referred to below as a Member(s).

Eligibility

19. The club is open to the following:

a. Law undergraduates and graduates

b. GDL students and graduates

c. Master’s, BPTC and LPC students.

d. Graduates of any of the above courses

e. Those in practice

f. Aspiring lawyers yet to start their legal studies

g. Other individuals falling outside of the above parameters at the discretion of the Advocacy Club organisers.

  1. Members are to sign up through speedmooting.com unless otherwise agreed by the JPD Group Ltd.
  2. There are two Advocacy Clubs.

  3. There is a Public Speaking and Debating Advocacy Club. This club meets on the second to last Tuesday of each month, save for December.  

  4. There is a Legal Advocacy Club. This club meets on the last Tuesday of the month, save for December.

  5. In December, both clubs will have a combined Christmas special public speaking meeting on the third Tuesday of December.

  6. The cost for membership of the Public Speaking and Debating Advocacy Club is £10 per month. The first £10 payment is to be paid on the date on which the member first signs up for the Advocacy Club through the website. Subsequent monthly payments will be made by the members on the first day of each month. From 1st June 2024, the cost of membership of the Public Speaking and Debating Advocacy Club will be £13 per month.   
  7. The cost for membership of the Legal Advocacy Club is £10 per month. The first £10 payment is to be paid on the date on which the member first signs up for the Advocacy Club through the website. Subsequent monthly payments will be made by the members on the first day of each month. From 1st June 2024, the cost of membership of the Legal Advocacy Club will be £13 per month. 
  8. The cost for membership of both the Public Speaking and Debating Advocacy Club and the Legal Advocacy Club is £16 per month. The first £16 payment is to be paid on the date on which the member first signs up for the Advocacy Club through the website. Subsequent monthly payments will be made by the members on the first day of each month. From 1st June 2024, the cost of membership of both the Public Speaking and Debating Advocacy Club and the Legal Advocacy Club will be £19 per month. 
  9. Members can leave the club at any time. This can be done by the member through the website. Alternatively, members can leave the club by sending an email to nationalspeedmoot@gmail.com indicating that they wish to leave the Advocacy Club.
  10. Should a member leave the club, payments will cease to be taken from the following month. The member is still entitled to attend Advocacy Club sessions for the specific club of which they are a member up until the date that their next payment would be due.
  11. The cost of membership for any of the above Advocacy Clubs can change occasionally. Should the cost change, we will provide 2 months’ notice to members via email before any price change is implemented. Should a member join the Advocacy Club less than 2 months prior to the cost change, we will notify the member via email as soon as practicable after the member joins the Advocacy Club. 

Particulars of the Events:

31. All events will be hosted on Zoom. The events will run from 7.30 pm to 9.00 pm approximately.

32. Each event will have a given theme. The theme for each session is set out on the speedmoting.com website. The Advocacy Club organisers reserve the right to change the theme for any of the events.

Instructions, Bundles and Zoom Links

33. Each member will receive instructions, bundles and Zoom links via email by no later 9.00 pm, 7 days prior to each event. These will be sent to the email address used by the member when they join the club.

34. Any objections or issues in relation to the bundle or problem should be raised no later than 9.00 pm, 3 days prior to the event to ensure all members receive any further information supplied in good time.

35. The Advocacy Club Organisers shall have the power to resolve ambiguities or objections in their absolute discretion.

36. Any variations or clarifications to the problem will be communicated to all members as soon as reasonably practicable by email.

37. Members must not share the instructions, bundle or Zoom link with any other individual by any means. Doing so will result in the member having their membership terminated.

38. Any complaints arising in the Advocacy Club shall be brought to the attention of the Advocacy Club organisers at the earliest possible opportunity who shall have the power to resolve any dispute as they see fit. No appeal of that decision will be entertained.

Plea in Mitigation Competition 2024

General

39. This section will apply to the Plea in Mitigation Competition 2024 (the “Competition”).

40. Those entering the competition will be referred to below as a Participant(s).

Eligibility

40. The Competition is open to the following:

a. Law undergraduates and graduates

b. GDL students and graduates

c. Master’s, BPTC and LPC students.

d. Graduates of any of the above courses

e. Aspiring lawyers yet to start their legal studies

f. Other individuals falling outside of the above parameters at the discretion of the Competition organisers.

41. Participants are to sign up through speedmooting.com.

42. The cost of entry for the event is £36.00 (thirty six pounds). The cost of entry is non-refundable once a participant has signed up to enter the competition.

Particulars of the Competition

43. The competition will take place on SATURDAY 1st June 2024. The competition will be hosted on Zoom.

44. The event will run from 9:00am until approximately 4:00pm.

Competition Structure

45. The target size for the competition is 180 competitors. Everyone that signs up will take part in the competition.

46. Save for, and without prejudice to paragraph 10, the format will be as follows:

a. In Round 1, the 180 competitors will be split into 18 groups of 10. Each group will have their own judge(s). One by one, each competitor in a group will perform the plea in mitigation in front of the judge(s). The judge(s) will determine the winner of the group. This individual will go through to Round 2.

b. There will therefore be 18 participants that will progress to Round 2.

c. The 18 competitors in Round 2 will be split into 6 groups of 3. Each group will have their own judge(s). One by one, each competitor in a group will perform the plea in mitigation in front of the judge(s). The judge will determine the winner of the group.

d. The six winners of the groups will then present one last time to the full panel of judges. The winner and runner up will then be decided by the panel.

47. The Competition Organisers reserve the right to alter the format of the competition.

48. The overall winner of the competition will receive an iPad. The runner up of the competition will receive a £100.00 (one hundred pounds) Amazon voucher.

Times

49. The times allotted to each participant shall be 5 minutes to present their submissions.

50. The judge can provide minute reminders.

51. These times may be varied as the organisers see fit on the day. Any changes will be communicated to all participants in advance of the affected round.

52. Any participant who exceeds their allotted time will only be permitted to continue with the permission of the judge, which shall be granted solely at his or her discretion. Participants will not be automatically penalised for exceeding time limits, but the judge may penalise bad time management at his/her discretion.

Problem and Bundle

53. Each participant shall be provided with a PDF copy of the bundle which is to include the problem and the relevant materials.

54. These bundles will be sent to the email provided at sign up by no later than 6pm on Friday 31st May 2024.

55. Any objections or issues in relation to the bundle or problem should be raised no later than 9pm on Friday 31st May 2024 to ensure all participants receive any further information supplied in good time.

56. The Competition Organisers shall have the power to resolve ambiguities or objections in their absolute discretion.

57. Any variations or clarifications to the problem will be communicated to all competitors as soon as reasonably practicable by email.

Judges

58. Judges shall be appointed by the Competition Organisers.

59. No objections to the appointment or allocation of judges will be entertained. The number of judges in any given round remains at the discretion of the Competition Organisers.

60. Judges shall be selected from university lecturers, barristers, pupil barristers, solicitors and trainee solicitors.

61. Judges and participants are under an obligation to declare any conflict of interest that arise when it is clear who their judge will be in any given round so that another judge can be assigned.

62. There shall be no appeal against the decision of any judge.

63. In reaching a decision, the judge shall take into account in particular the following matters:

i. The court room etiquette and manner of each participant and each contestant.

ii. The presentation and clarity of each participant’s speech, including whether each point (or aspects of it) was too long or too short bearing in mind the confines of the competition.

iii. The participant’s ability to develop their argument.

iv. The use made by each participant of the materials and sentencing guidelines.

Complaints

64. Any complaints arising in the competition shall be brought to the attention of the Competition Organisers at the earliest possible opportunity who shall have the power to resolve any dispute as they see fit. No appeal of that decision will be entertained.

 

Applicable Law:

65.  The contract is governed by the law of England and Wales.

66. The applicable jurisdiction is the courts of England and Wales.

67. In the first instance, any complaints can be submitted to info@speedmooting.com. We will respond to your complaint within a reasonable timescale.